1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus for transmitting or receiving file data to or from a server by using a file transfer protocol (FTP).
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a sales management system for collecting sales data in a data processing apparatus such as an electronic cache register (ECR) or a point-of-sales (POS) terminal in a server located in a data center or the like, and counting the collected sales data. For example, there has been known a sales management assisting apparatus for collecting and storing sales data from a plurality of POS terminals via a local area network (LAN), counting or summing the collected sales data, and transmitting the counted or summed data to a FTP server (refer to Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2003-67847).
In the meantime, conventionally, data is transmitted or received between the ECR and the server by using a dedicated tool or protocol. However, in the case where a function is upgraded or maintenance is carried out, it is necessary to change both the ECR and the server. Therefore, there has been a problem with expandability or ease of maintenance.
On the other hand, when data is transmitted or received between the ECR and the server by using a general-purpose protocol such as FTP, mutually owned file data is merely transmitted or received in accordance with the general-purpose protocol. Therefore, there has been a problem that data failing to conform to a data format is stored in the receiver side. In addition, in the ECR, there exists a file in which set data and arithmetic data such as sales data coexist. However, only transmission and reception in units of files can be carried out in accordance with the general-purpose protocol such as FTP. Therefore, for example, there has been a problem that it is impossible to carry out a processing operation for the server to receive only the arithmetic data contained in the file from the ECR or for the server to transmit only the set data contained in the file to the ECR to rewrite only the set data contained in the file.
In addition, conventionally, in the case where data is transmitted and received between the ECR and the server by using FTP, there is provided a command for referring to a client's directory from the server, and reference can be made to the ECR directory from a personal computer (PC) side. However, this command can refer to only a real directory and a list of file names in each directory, and flexible use such as referring to a list of file names by the contents of the files cannot be carried out.